


Ardyn Exceeds the Standard Set by Dorian Grey

by Selador



Series: Sel's Prompt Fills and Other Ficlets [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Weird Uncle Ardyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 08:49:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15167054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selador/pseuds/Selador
Summary: Ardyn makes the most of immortality.





	Ardyn Exceeds the Standard Set by Dorian Grey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kickingshoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickingshoes/gifts).



> a birthday/prompt fill for @kickingshoes, which was “your take on Ardyn being Noctis’ weird uncle”
> 
> i’ve had an idea about ardyn being immortal and completely resistant to the astral’s plans, and making the best of immortality, and that’s become this. title was a suggestion from she5los

While they wait for Dino to make good on a boat, Prompto takes the opportunity to get some nice shots in of Galdin Quay. **  
**

It was beautiful, and all jokes with his friends aside, Galdin Quay is the most romantic spot that Prompto has ever seen. He pulls down his camera to admire the scenery without a lens, when a man catches his eye.

Or rather, the man’s… decades out of date swimwear, though Prompto initially dismissed it from notice as just an extraordinarily well matched shirt and trunks. But no–there is a man wearing a swimsuit that would have been considered retro decades ago.

And he is… struggling, quite a bit, with a surfboard in the water.

Prompto tilts his head watching him, as he falls off the board into the water, the board floating innocently away. The man pops up out of the water, and his mouth is moving as he freestyles back to his board. Prompto can’t read lips, or anything, but it doesn’t take much to know exactly what he’s saying.

The next time the man gets on his surfboard, Prompto lifts up his camera. It takes a couple of wipe outs, but eventually, Prompto gets the perfect moment of him falling into the water with the most hilariously outraged expression.

Prompto hesitates as he comes out of the water, dripping wet and dragging his surfboard behind him.

“Hey, man,” Prompto greets, waving his hand frantically to make sure he gets the man’s attention. He realizes, as he steps closer, that this dude is tall. Like, almost Gladio tall. And even with the terrible choice of swimwear, he’s handsome.

In an older guy kind of way, Prompto admits, but he’s already come to terms with his tastes in men.

“Yes?” says the man, before Prompto can say anything else. “What do you want?”

“Uh,” Prompto says, “I just… I was taking some pictures of you while you were surfing–”

“You were?” the man asks. “Whatever for?”

Prompto opens his mouth, but realizes  _you looked kinda funny out there dude_ isn’t the nicest sentiment. “You… uh, you made an interesting… image.”

It’s a little too late to back out, and Prompto was the one who was taking photographs of the man while he looked ridiculous in the first place. He pulls out his camera to scroll through the photos, and the man leans over his shoulder inquisitively.

The first shot isn’t all that bad. He looks very determined, for what he’s doing.

The next photo makes the man burst out into laughter, the gust of it ruffling Prompto’s hair.

“Oh, Six, is that what I look like?” the man asks. “Goodness. No wonder these swimsuits went out of fashion.”

“It doesn’t look that silly,” Prompto lies, to no avail. His lie is weak to his own ears.

“You’re sweet,” he says, patting him on the shoulder. “What did you say your name was?”

“Prompto,” he says, holding his hand out.

“Ardyn,” he says as he takes his hand.

…

Prompto doesn’t really think that much about Ardyn during their stay at Galdin Quay.

He does think about him quite a lot when he almost crashes into them as they’re entering the resort proper.

“Oh, shit,” he says, looking at Noctis. “You’re not supposed to be here yet.”

“Hey, Ardyn,” Prompto says, waving a little.

“Prompto!” he says with his eyebrows raised. “Ah, I didn’t know you were traveling with the Prince.”

“How’d you know that?” demands Gladio.

“Could you say that  _louder_?” Noctis asks.

“Oh, call of your guard dog,” Ardyn tells Noct. “It’s not like you’re subtle. You might as well have the royal insignia flashing on your car.”

“I mean,” Prompto says, thinking about the decals he and Noct admired back at Hammerhead, “that’s fair.”

“You know this man, Prompto?” Ignis asks.

“Uh, kinda? I took photos of him while he was trying to surf.”

Ardyn signs. “Trying and failing. There are some skills in life that I cannot seem to develop no matter how long I try.”

“How long have you been trying to learn how to surf for?” Prompto asks curiously, and Ardyn gives him a solemn, dead-eyed look.

“Too long,” he answers, voice dark.

Prompto makes a ‘huh’ noise because he really has no idea how to respond to that, and they wait as Ardyn stands in their way.

“You mind?” Noctis asks, stepping forward.

“Oh right,” he says. “Okay, listen, I don’t want to be doing this, but, F. Y. I. shit’s about to be whack, yo, so be on your guard.”

“What?” Noctis asks, as Ardyn gets out of their way and walks off without another word. 

“‘Shit’s about to be whack, yo,’” Prompto repeats, quietly, under his breath.

“What the fuck?” Noctis says, “Did that–who talks like that? And is a real person?”

In a certain way, shit does become whack, but the thought off describing the fall of Insomnia in such terms never crossed any of their minds.


End file.
